Method of and means for producing alternating currents



J. H. PAYNE, JR.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING ALTERNATING CURRENTS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I4, 1916.-

1,400,235. Patented Dec.13, 1921 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. PAYNE, JR., OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MEANS FOR PRODUCING ALTERNATING CURRENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

Application filed September 14, 1916. Serial No. 120,070.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I. JOHN H. PAYNE, J12.

a citizen of the United States. residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady,

5 State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Means for Producing Alternating Currents. of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the protions into groups having a definite or audible'frequency. A further object of my in vention is to simultaneously produce by means of a single device oscillations of a plurality of frequencies.

The features of my invention which I consider novel are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. The inven tion itself-however. both as to its organization and method of operation will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with th 'accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated one of the circuit arrangements whereby my invention may be carried into e fect.

As indicated in the drawing an electron discharge device 1, comprises a cathode 2, supplied by current from the battery 3 for heating to incandescence, an anode 1 and a.

discharge controlling member or grid 5 inclosed in an evacuated receptacle 6. An external circuit between cathode 2 and anode 4 comprises a source of direct current 7 and inductances 8 and 9. This circuit for convenience of description I designate the plate circuit. A second circuit between the oath ode and grid 5 includes inductances 10 and 11. This circuit for convenience of description I designate the grid circuit.

It is well known that in an organization of this kind if the grid and plate circuits are properly coupled together continuous alternating currents may be produced. I

designate such an arrangement a self excited electron discharge device; that is. one 65 capable of producing alternating currents of itself in contra distinction to the usual arrangement in which alternating currents are produced only when an alternating exciting current is supplied from another source. In the present case the coupling between the grid and the plate circuits provided by condensers 12. 13 and 14. The inductances 9 and 11 and the capacities 12 and 13 are preferably so chosen that radio frequency oscillations will be set up in the circuit which includes these inductances and capacities. The frequency of these oscillations may be varied by varying the capacity of condenser 1:2. which is preferably of smaller capacity than condenser. 13. Inductances 8 and 10 and condensers 13 and 1a are so proportioned that the circuit. including these inductances and capacities will be resonant to a different and preferably an 7 audible frequency and the frequency of the alternating currents generated in this circuit may be varied by varying the capacity of condenser 14. Because of the complexity of the current and voltage conditions in the 0 circuits which are organized in this way it is difiicult to state precisely the manner in which it operates. I have found. however, that by coupling an antenna 15 to the inductance 9 by means of the coil 16 high frequencyoscillations will be produced in the antenna 15 and these high frequency oscillations will be broken up into groups having a frequency equal to the frequency of the currents produced in the circuit 8, 0 13, 10. 14:. It is also possible by varying the tuning of the two resonant circuits to produce oscillations in the two circuits which differ from each other in frequency by a small amount either at audible or radio frequencies. and by means of the currents thus produced impress upon the antenna a composite wave which is a combination of the two frequencies in any desired manner.

lVhile I have illustrated a single form of my invention. it is by no means limited to the particular form of electron discharge devices illustrated or to the exact circuit connections shown. as many modifications therein may be made without departing from the scope of theappended claims.

leew- For example, more than two resonant circuits may be utilized and oscillations of as many frequencies as desired may simultaneously be produced by a single electron discharge device. By coupling the utilization circuits to the different resonant circuits oscillations of any one of the different frequencies may be employed for any desired purpose; Some of these oscillations may be ofradio frequency, some of audio frequency, or all may be of audio frequency, or all may be ofradio frequency.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is 2- '1. The method of'operating a radiating system comprising a self-excited electron discharge device which consists in cans ing said device to produce ,two separate currents, one of radio frequency and one of audio frequency, causing the two currents to interact to produce radio frequency currents having an audible group frequency equal to shat of the audio frequency currents producedand utilizing the currents thus produced for efiecting a useful radiation of en- 2. Means for producing radio frequency currents having a .definite group frequency comprising an electron discharge device having plate and which include separate inductances in both grid and plate circuits and which are resonant to two'different frequencies associated therewith in such a way that alternating currents 'will be produced in said resonant circuits, an electrostatic coupling between said resonant circuits, and a utilization circuit operatively related to said plate circuit. 3. Means for producing radio frequency currents having an audible group frequency 'comprising a self-excited electron discharge device having plate and grid circuits, two circuits directly associated'with both plate and grid circuits in such a way that alternating currents will be produced therein, one of said circuits being resonant to a radio frequency and the otherto an audible frequency equal to the group frequency desired,

- and a utilization circuit operatively related to said plate circuit.

4, Means for producing radio frequency currents having an audible group frequency comprising an electron discharge device having an anode, a cathode and a grid inclosed in an evacuated receptacle, a circuit connecting the cathode and anode which includes a direct current source of energy, a second cir-- cuit connectin the cathode and grid, a plurality of condensers coupling the two circuits in such a way as to form therewith two coupled circuits whichare resonant to two different frequencies.

5. Means for producing radio frequency currents having an audible group frequency comprising an electron discharge device havgrid which also includes a grid circuits, two circuitsa cathode and a grid inclosed in an evacuated receptacle, a circuit connects ing the cathode and anode which includes a source of energy and a pluralty of inductances, a circuit connecting the cathode and plurality of inductances and a plurality of condensers connected in multiple between the two circuits, said inductances and condensers being so proportioned and arranged as to form two coupled circuits, one of which is resonant to audible frequencies and the other of which is resonant to radio frequencies.

6. The combination with an electron discharge device comprising an anode, a cathing an anode,

ode and a grid inclosed in an evacuated receptacle of a resonant circuit associated with the device in such a way that radio frequency currents will be produced in said circuit, a second circuit resonant to audio frequencies and associated with the first circuit in such a way that the radio frequency currents in the first circuit will be broken up into groups of audible frequency corresponding to the frequency of the second circuit, and a utilization circuit operative y related to said first circuit and adapted to receive energy therefrom. 1

7. Means for producing alternating currents of a plurality of frequencies comprising a self-excited electron discharge device, a,.

single plate circuit and a single grid circuit for said device, a plurality of circuits which are resonant to the sired directly associated with said plate circuit and said grid circuit in such a way that different frequencies dealternating currents will be produced in said resonant circuits, and a utilization circuit operatively related to said plate circuit.

8. Means for producing a plurality of alternating currents of different frequencies comprising a self-excited electron discharge device, a single plate circuit and a single grid circuit for said device, a plurality of circuits which' are resonant to the different frequencies desired, directly associated with both late and grid circuits in such a way that a ternating currents will be produced in said resonant circuits, and means whereby the currents thus produced may be caused to interact one upon anotherf 9. Means for producing alternating currents of a plurality of different frequencies comprising an electron discharge device, a plate circuit for said device, a grid circuit for said device, and a plurality of resonant circuits each of which is formed in part by a portion of the grid circuit and in part by a portion of the plate circuit, and so associated with those circuits that alternating currents of different frequencies will be produced in said resonant circuits.

10. The method of operating a radiating system having a self-excited electron disassociated therewith, which consists in causdio frequency current generated and iming said device to generate two separate curpressing the current thus produced upon the rents, one of radio vfrequency and one of radiating system. 10 audio frequency, causing the two currents to In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set 5 interact to produce in the plate circuit radio my hand this 12th day of September, 1916.,

frequency currents having an audible group frequency equal to the frequency of the au- JOHN H. PAYNE, JR. 

